A Romantic, Spanish-Inspired Wedding in Santa Barbara

In May 2008, Justine Couvillion left her small hometown of Starkville, Mississippi, to take an internship in New York City at Rag & Bone. “I loved it, and two months later, I had a job,” she says. And it was thanks to that job that she met Rory Andrew. That December, the company's founders pulled a few strings to make sure Rory got Justine for the office "Secret Santa" gift exchange, thus paving the way for their love story.

But it wasn't immediate! “We dated for nine years, during which Rory moved back to London to tour with Sting’s daughter’s band, I Blame Coco,” Justine explains. “When he finally came back to the states, we moved to L.A. so Rory could be closer to his music career.” (In November 2017, Rory, a.k.a. songwriter and recording artist WYNNE, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Electronic Dance Song for “Line of Sight” by Odesza feat. WYNNE!) But first: In November 2016, Rory proposed with an antique ring he’d found in London, and the couple began planning their April 21, 2018, wedding in Santa Barbara, California. “We invited 100 guests from all over—Mississippi, London, New York, and even New Zealand, ” Justine adds. And they made to sure to show off their new California home with a traditional ceremony at the stunning Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montecito and an alfresco reception at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The venues inspired the Spanish influence in the wedding's overall design, which resulted in a romantic event that was perfect match for their Cali setting.

Keep reading to see more of Rory and Justine's big day—and trust us: You don't want to miss the beautiful photographs by Wild Whim, inspiring fashion (hello, Rag & Bone and Emilia Wickstead!), and personal touches, below.

Swirling calligraphy and a line drawing of Our Lady of Mount Carmel came together for a simple but oh-so-pretty wedding invitation.

“When I was looking for wedding dresses, Emilia Wickstead had just launched her first bridal collection in London, and I was blown away by the simplicity of the designs,” Justine says. In fact, the gown she chose was inspired by Lady Charlotte Wellesley’s dress, which Emilia had designed a few years prior. “I wanted to look back in 10, 20, or 30 years and still admire the dress I’d chosen,” explains the bride. And you can imagine Justine’s surprise when, just a month later, Meghan Markle walked down the aisle in a similarly simple gown with a boat neckline and sleeves. “It seems Meghan Markle and I have a lot more in common than just falling in love with British men!” Justine says with a laugh.

She carried an organic bouquet of peonies, roses, sweet peas, anemones, eucalyptus, and gardenia, and wrapped the stems in her aunt’s rosary.

As a something blue, Justine wore gorgeous floral-printed Aquazzura sandals.

Justine’s nieces all served as flower girls, wearing white dresses with lace necklines.

The bride let her 'maids chose their own dresses, which resulted in a combination of floral, blush, and ivory styles that looked perfect alongside the bride’s chic gown.

Inside the church, each pew was accented with eucalyptus, olive greens, and spirea. Justine’s nieces carried rings of olive branches as they made their way down the aisle ahead of the bride, who, like Markle, entered the church alone.

“My father passed away when I was five, and it was bittersweet to not have him there with me,” says the bride. Instead, she asked her four brothers to participate in giving her away, and each walked her down a portion of the aisle.

After the Catholic ceremony, guests cheered and held white balloons as the newlyweds exited the church.

Santa Barbara trolleys took the guests from the church to the museum, giving everyone a peek at the town’s beauty—and getting guests excited for the party!

Rory and his groomsmen all wore Rag & Bone suits, a gift from founder David Neville (who was a groomsman himself!). The groomsmen wore the Razor suit in navy, while Rory wore it in black.

During cocktail hour, guests sipped local wines and snapped Polaroids before sitting down for dinner.

Guests were seated at bare wooden tables for the alfresco dinner, which was set beneath a vine-covered pergola. White hemstitch runners were topped with arrangements of white roses, lisianthus, and fresh greenery. Peachy water glasses added a pop of color, while a sprig of olive branch was placed on each guest’s printed menu. At guests’ seats were hand-cut wooden blocks (cut by Justine’s brother) holding personalized photos of the couple with each of their guests.

After a delicious family-style meal of fresh salmon and sirloin steak with local veggies and hearth-baked breads, Rory and Justine cut into a naked vanilla sponge cake with lemon and buttercream icing. “We also had a cupcake spread with flavors like chocolate salted caramel, sticky toffee pudding, triple berry chardonnay, and coconut,” she says.

When it was time for dancing, Justine changed into a white fringed Rachel Comey outfit and white Vans. She adds, “Our band, The Lucky Devils, was so fun! They even invited Rory up on stage to play drums with them!”

While celebrating surrounded by loved ones was something Rory and Justine will surely never forget, Justine admits that her favorite moment was one they shared, just the two of them. “After the ceremony, we paused to have a glass of champagne and take it all in before our grand entrance," she says. “That memory is one I’ll really cherish.”